The invention relates to a sliding roof apparatus for opening and closing an opening of a vehicle roof, and more particularly to a sliding roof apparatus having an improved connection portion between a guide rail and a front rail.
A sliding roof apparatus for vehicles is structured, as shown in FIG. 7, such that guide rails 6 and 6 are arranged in both sides of an opening 2 provided in a roof 1 of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction thereof, front slide members 4 and 4 and rear shoes 5 and 5 are connected to a slide panel 3, generally a transparent material such as a glass. The shoes 5 and 5 are moved forward and backward along guide rails 6 and 6 via a cable by a motor 7 and the slide panel 3 is moved to an illustrated position or a rear portion of the opening 2, thereby closing and opening the opening 2. The guide rails 6 and 6 used for the sliding roof apparatus is fixed and supported to a vehicle structure by using a housing and has gutters for treating a rain water, and the gutters discharge water out of the vehicle via water discharge passages 8 and 8.
The gutter is formed in a housing extending to a side portion from a lower portion of the guide rail or integrally formed with the guide rail, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 6-144014 (1994) or Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 6-336119 (1994). Further, it is structured such that the gutter having a substantially U-shaped cross section and separately formed from the guide rail is mounted on a protruding or extending portion formed in a side outer portion of the guide rail. In the manner mentioned above, the gutter provided in the side of the guide rail is matched to the rail gutter portion in the front rail and a seal member is interposed in the matched portion so as to achieve the gutter without a water leakage.
It is a bad operability to connect the front rail and the guide rail by using the seal member so as to communicate between the rail gutter portions of both rails, so that an improvement thereof is desired. Further, known means for providing the gutter in the housing that does not require the seal member, however, enlarges the housing, and makes it hard to mount it.